Matilda Omonaiye/
Patience Ogbo/
The Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, has absolved the four policemen accused of extrajudicial killing of two armed robbery suspects at Iba, in Ojo local government area area of the state of murder.
Inspector Fabiyi Omomoyowa, Sergeant Olaniyi Solomon, Sergeant Solomon Sunday and Corporal Aliyu Mukaila, had on August 19, 2019, on Ipaye Street, Iba, shot dead the already restrained youths, Ayodele Solaja and Ogheneovo Ebobo, and also filmed the incident.
But DPP, in a legal advice dated September 16, 2019, with reference number CB:3514/LSXD4/Vol.6/31, said the victims were hit by police bullets and were taken to the Iba Police Station, where they died of gunshot injuries.
In the advice signed by Martins on behalf of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, the DPP noted that the policemen had no case to answer as they acted in self-defence.
The advice reads in part: “After carefully considering the facts in the duplicate case file, this office is of the opinion that there are insufficient facts to establish a prima facie case of murder or involuntary manslaughter, contrary to sections 222, 223 or 224 (b) and punishable under Section 229 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17, Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015, against pages B1 (Inspector Fabiyi Omomoyowa), B2 (Sergeant Olaniyi Solomon), B3 (Sergeant Solomon Sunday) and B4 (Corporal Aliyu Mukaila); so, they have no case to answer.
“Facts contained in the case file reveal that page A4 (Anagwu Valentine) was robbed of a Max iPhone and the sum of N200,000 by four armed men on August 16, 2019, on Ipaye Street, Iba town, Lagos. Valentine and Ifeanyi Michael reported the robbery to the police at the Iba Police Station, which led to surveillance by the police patrol team comprising Omomoyowa, Solomon, Sunday and Mukaila.
“Valentine and Michael pretended to sell another phone to the gang of armed robbers on August 19 on Ipaye Street, Iba, Lagos; the policemen shot the two suspects and took them to the station, where they eventually died and taken to the morgue.
“In the light of the foregoing, this office is of the considered opinion that Omomoyowa, Solomon, Sunday and Mukaila have no case to answer.”
NewsmakersNG learnt that the counsel for the two families, Mr Adesina Ogunlana, has however written a petition against the DPP and the state Ministry of Justice over the the legal advice.
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